The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1887-02-10
The State Grange.

10 THE EnIlol Oh TIE Jol..NlI.: The
state Grange Of each Of the stat, hi, Il power
for good not yet exercised. The Grange store
OF the Maine statt Grange, located at Portland
does not li.e,t the requirement, Of Maine farm
cr>. First. because the store is too far away
for most farmers. secondly, because farmers
cannot exchange their produc. for goods AT the
store.
If the local house at Portland bad a branch
Office or store in every town in the State at
such branch store every farmer could trade.
delivering hi> produce for cash. and btlving of
the store for cash. All surplus produce :crIl-
muatin" III the branch stores TO he forwarded
to the Wholesale house in Portland. which
wholesale house could sell the surplus produce
OF the state to the outside world. The whole
sale house at Portland could supply the branch
stores with all CLASSES of goods required bv the
farmers, including tools and machinery. Gen
orally the postmaster is proper person for the
local agent or >torekceper. When all the FARM
ers are thus organized. all corners in bread and
other Board of Trade gainbin. will be ut an
end.
When each OF the States are organized 4
years prices can be fixed and no farmer need
rush his crop to market to catch a momentary
high price or fear being too late. The prices
that should prevail fer the following twelve
months should be published. to begin March
first iii each year. Each branch store should
receive the annual price list March first and
keep ii posted i'll 4 public place for the n,pec
ton OF all customers This would allow the
local agent no opportunity to reduce OF increase
prices. and he should be paid rs Il servant of the
state Grange, be under bonds. and be removal
bic at the will of the local Grange. and he aI)-
pointed by the State Grange. which at its option
might act on the Recommendation of the local
Grange. This would insure his respect for
customers, yet leave him sufficiently iEdcpendl-
ent of them. The institution mus. be sup
ported. and to do this the Grange should buy
for three per cent. less than it sold the same
article. To Illustrate Two farmers. A. and
b.. are living in the same town. A. raises W heat
and Il. raises corn. The price fixed on corn
and on wheat grown this year is fixed, we will
say, at one dollar per blIshel. \. takes his
Wheat to the store and gets ninctN-seven cents
per bushel for it in cash. ID. wants to buy
wheat and he has to pay the storekeeper one
dollar per bu>l!el for it. b. sells his corn for
ninety-seyen cents and A. must pay a dollar for
1t. Under this arrangement the Grange would
give to every farm product a fixed cash value
and produce in the cellar would be equal to i'm
mediate cash. And between farmers it would
have another effect. n. could and would sell
wheat directly to Il. for one dollar. and b.
would sell corn to A. for one dollar. Thus the
Changers for maintaining the stores would get
many outside profits. The stores would oper-
ate to sustain prices and give all products a
cash value as completely as though the Grange
stores handled all goods, yet perhaps not one
tenth part of the goods would be transferred
through the stores. What did pass through the
stores would maintain the stores and pay all
expenses for freight, etc. To the Granger who
did not raise wheat 4 barrel of flour would cost
him only three per cent. more than the farmer
who raised it got for it.
At present, what one farmer sells for three
dollars another farmer buys and has to pay six
dollars for. Five bushels of wheat sold bv one
farmer for three dollars, after toll is taken out
for grinding and boiling, leaves barrel of flour
and shorts enough to buy the empty barrel,
which barrel full of flour is sold to another farm
er for six dollars. Here is two dollars and ninety
cents lost to the farming interest, and it has
gone into the pockets OF unnecessary middle
men, grain spectators and Board of Trade
gamblers. The Grange has the power to prevent
this loss to the farming interest, and that pow
or should he brought into play.
The Grange is silently doing a great work,
getting the farmers together every week, and
by discussion and social intercourse advancing
the science of agriculture, yet leaving the bcne-
fits therefrom to the grasp of spectators.
Nearly all the numerous millions rakcd in every
year by the Board of Trade gamblers comes out
of the farmers. Have farmers not sense enough
to protect their own interests.
The Grange could also secure to its customers
pure food, and none need fear bogus butter,
bogus honey, or artificial eggs, or have them to
compete against in the market. If the sole OH
ject of organizing as above was only to secure
pure food, it would be worth the trial But it
can nearly double the farmers financial adyan-
tages also, and give all his produce immediate
and continued cash value beyond the power of
fluctiIation.
Present storekeepers might find themselves
somewhat left out i'm the cold, but American
people do not lack for talen: to adapt them
selves to new conditions. The storekeeper will
find a way to make himself useful and make a
good living at it. The farmers have been bled
since the dawn of history, and it is time to call
a halt. The local Oranges ought to take these
matters under consideration and be prepared
to do something practical at the next session of
the Maine State Grange. e. S. GRIFFIN.
Hon. George +. Talbot, in a letter to the
Portland Argus, suggests that the forestry con-
vention be held in Augusta during the present
session Of the legislature, to take action toward
the restoration Of the original forest wealth of
the State. Some of the measures suggested are
more stringent enactmcnts to prevent the care
less setting of fires. the incorporation Of COM
panies to insure timber and wood lands against
fire, acts to promote the planting of trees on
lands forfeited to towns or the State for nom
payment of taxes and exemption from taxa
ton for term Of years of land devoted to tree
culture.